Government pledges £200 million to transform SEND support across education settings
Government pledges £200 million to transform SEND support across education settings
The Department for Education has announced a £200 million training programme to reshape how educators across England identify and support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Beginning next year, the initiative will reach practitioners in early years settings, schools and colleges — a move that signals a fundamental shift in the government's approach to SEND inclusion.
A training overhaul built on real experience
The programme was shaped by feedback gathered through the government's national conversation on SEND, reflecting widespread concern from parents about inconsistent support and unmet needs. Too many children were falling through the cracks — not because the will to help was absent, but because the knowledge and tools to do so effectively were unevenly distributed.
Staff will be trained across a broad range of needs, including visual impairments and speech and language difficulties. The programme will also introduce educators to assistive technologies, such as speech-to-text dictation tools. Underpinning this is a new expectation in the SEND Code of Practice: that every member of staff — including childminders — must undertake SEND and inclusion training, moving specialist knowledge into the mainstream of everyday practice.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson set out the objective:
"Every child, wherever they live and whatever their needs, should have the opportunity to go to a local school where they can achieve and thrive."
Early years sector is cautiously optimistic
Leaders across the early years sector have welcomed the announcement while flagging the need for careful implementation. Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance, described the news as a positive step, noting that early years settings play a vital role in identifying SEND as early as possible. He called on the government to clarify how much of the £200 million will be ring-fenced specifically for early years, and to co-design training that genuinely reflects the realities of early years practice rather than simply adapting materials developed for schools.
Ka Lai Brightley-Hodges, Head of Coram PACEY, drew particular attention to childminders, noting that children with SEND are often overlooked in educational settings with their needs unmet. She confirmed that Coram PACEY would work directly with the Department for Education to ensure the training is relevant, accessible and flexible for this part of the workforce.
SEND practitioners in every Best Start Family Hub
Alongside the training announcement, the Government has confirmed that from April 2026, every Best Start Family Hub will be required to have a dedicated SEND practitioner providing direct, family-facing support. This forms part of a wider £500 million investment modelled on the legacy of Sure Start.
The funding gap on the ground
While these announcements are broadly welcomed, the pressures facing early years providers remain critical. Research by the Early Years Alliance has revealed that of the providers who already receive SEND-specific funding, more than 8 in 10 say that funding is not sufficient to deliver the quality of care they want to provide. Almost 9 in 10 say they fund additional support for children with SEND out of their own pocket.
Sector leaders are united in their message: new training and new hubs must be part of a broader, sustained funding improvement that reaches nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in their day-to-day work.
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